Sanatana Dharma row | Congress distances itself from Udhayanidhi’s remarks
Distancing itself from DMK leader and Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin’s statement on Sanatana Dharma, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said that the party believes every religion and faith has its space and no one can treat any particular faith as less than another. Mr. Khera said that the party had already clearly stated it did not stand by such remarks. The reaction came amid BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad’s charge that the Congress top leadership was maintaining “silence” over the controversial remarks.
DMK MP A. Raja compares Sanatana Dharma with HIV
Nilgiris Lok Sabha MP A. Raja said that Sanatana Dharma was like the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that needed to be destroyed. In a meeting with DMK booth agents in Udhagamandalam on September 7, Mr. Raja said that people in North India had become aware of the need to defeat Hindutva forces, and were looking towards the DMK and Dravidian parties for “the cure.” Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan responded sharply to Mr. Raja’s remarks terming it as reflective of the INDIA bloc parties’ “mental bankruptcy” and “deep-rooted Hinduphobia”. Earlier in the day, defending Udhayanidhi Stalin, Tamil Nadu CM M.K. Stalin said the Centre was using the issue to divert attention from issues such as the situation in Manipur or the irregularities to the tune of ₹7.5 lakh crore highlighted in the report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India.
West Bengal Assembly passes resolution to celebrate State Foundation Day on Poila Baishak
The West Bengal Assembly passed a resolution declaring ‘Poila Baishak’, the first day of Bengali New Year calendar, as Bangla Dibas or West Bengal Foundation Day. Earlier this year, the Centre has announced that June 20 be observed as West Bengal Foundation Day. The Mamata Banerjee government instead prefers the first day of the Bengali New Year, which usually falls on April 14 or 15.
PM Modi in Jakarta | At ASEAN-India summit, PM calls for building rules-based post-COVID world order
Calling for building a rules-based post-COVID world order, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 7 said the progress of a free and open Indo-Pacific and elevating the voice of the Global South is in the common interest of all. In his address at the annual ASEAN-India summit in Jakarta in Indonesian capital, Mr. Modi described the 10-nation grouping as the epicentre of growth as the region plays a crucial role in global development.
Curfew relaxed in five valley districts of Manipur
A day after curfew was clamped in all the five valley districts of Manipur, authorities announced curfew relaxation timing to facilitate the general public to purchase essential items including medicines and food. An official order issued on September 6 said curfew has been relaxed from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. for Imphal East, Imphal West and Kakching districts on Thursday. Curfew relaxation in Thoubal district is from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Onlooker! Aditya-L1 camera takes a selfie, images of Earth, Moon
ISRO on September 7 released a “selfie” and images of the Earth and the Moon taken by the camera on-board Aditya-L1 solar mission spacecraft. “Aditya-L1, destined for the Sun-Earth L1 point, takes a selfie and images of the Earth and the Moon,” the Bengaluru-headquartered national space agency said on ‘X’. The images show VELC (Visible Emission Line Coronagraph) and SUIT (Solar Ultraviolet Imager) instruments as seen by the camera on-board Aditya-L1 on September 4, 2023.
25 government bills pending in Rajya Sabha
As many as 25 government bills, including the one dating back to 1992 pertaining to adopting a two-child norm for panchayat polls, are pending in the Rajya Sabha. Among the pending bills are the Delhi Rent (Amendment) Bill, 1997 that seeks to regulate rent, repairs of rented premises and eviction of tenants in the national capital, and one on amending the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) Act to relax certain conditions for appointment of regulators, according to a bulletin by Rajya Sabha.
CAG raps Arunachal for ‘deficiencies’ in implementing PM-Kisan Yojana
The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has criticised the Arunachal Pradesh government for “several deficiencies” while implementing the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) yojana in the northeastern State. The CAG in its report which was tabled in the Assembly recently highlighted “several discrepancies” while implementing the central scheme in the State.
Maratha quota stir to continue till govt relaxes condition of genealogy: Manoj Jarange
Maratha quota protester Manoj Jarange, who has been on a hunger strike in Maharashtra’s Jalna district, said on September 7 that their agitation will continue till the State relaxes the condition of genealogy while giving Kunbi caste certificate to the community members from the Marathwada region. He was speaking a day after Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said that Kunbi caste certificates would be issued to those Marathas from the region who possess revenue or education documents from the Nizam era that recognise them as Kunbis.
Death toll from fierce storms, flooding in Greece, Turkey and Bulgaria rises to 14
The death toll from severe rainstorms that lashed parts of Greece, Turkey and Bulgaria increased to 14 on September 6, after rescue teams in the three neighbouring countries recovered seven more bodies. A flash flood at a campsite in northwestern Turkey near the border with Bulgaria killed at least five people — with three found dead on Wednesday — and carried away bungalows. Rescuers were still searching for one person reported missing at the campsite.
G-20 Summit | Meeting with PM Modi, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Hasina’s Delhi agenda
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to host his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina at his residence ahead of the G-20 Summit where Bangladesh is among the nine “guest countries”. Ms. Hasina is scheduled to arrive here on Friday for a three-day visit during which she will speak in the Session 1 of the summit and participate in other activities of the G-20 gathering. The visit is significant as it is likely to be the last trip to Delhi by her before Bangladesh heads for the election in December.
Australia and China open their first high-level dialogue in 3 years in a sign of a slight thaw
Australia and China opened their first high-level dialogue in three years Thursday in a sign of a slight thaw to relations between countries that have clashed on everything from human rights to COVID-19 origins to trade. “I welcome the recent positive developments in the bilateral relationship, but we know that there is more work to do,” said Craig Emerson, the head of the Australian delegation and a former trade minister.
Former Mossad chief says Israel is enforcing apartheid system in West Bank
A former head of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency told The Associated Press on Wednesday that Israel is enforcing an apartheid system in the West Bank, joining a tiny but growing list of retired officials to endorse an idea that remains largely on the fringes of Israeli discourse and international diplomacy. Tamir Pardo becomes the latest former senior official to have concluded that Israel’s treatment of Palestinians in the West Bank amounts to apartheid, a reference to the system of racial separation in South Africa that ended in 1994.
Japan launches rocket with lunar lander and X-ray telescope to explore origins of the universe
Japan launched a rocket on September 7 carrying an X-ray telescope that will explore the origins of the universe, as well as a small lunar lander. The launch of the HII-A rocket from Tanegashima Space Center in southwestern Japan was shown on live video by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, known as JAXA. “We have a liftoff,” the narrator at JAXA said as the rocket flew up in a burst of smoke then flew over the Pacific.
Air Canada apologises for booting passengers who complained that their seats were smeared with vomit
Air Canada says it has apologised to two passengers who were escorted off a plane by security after protesting that their seats were smeared in vomit. The airline said on September 5 that the passengers “clearly did not receive the standard of care to which they were entitled.” The incident during boarding for an Aug. 26 flight from Las Vegas to Montreal was described in graphic detail by another passenger, Susan Benson of New Brunswick, who said she was in the row behind two women and a man.
U.S. Open 2023 | Alcaraz downs Zverev to complete all-star semifinal lineup
World number one Carlos Alcaraz vanquished Alexander Zverev 6-3 6-2 6-4 on Wednesday to complete an all-star U.S. Open men’s semi-final lineup that features three Flushing Meadows champions and a big-hitting American wildcard. Daniil Medvedev, the 2021 winner, overcame brutal heat and fellow Russian Andrey Rublev 6-4 6-3 6-4 to set up a Friday meeting with defending champion Alcaraz. Three-time champion Novak Djokovic and 20-year-old Ben Shelton booked their spots on Tuesday.
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